Mayor Saa Emerson Lamina
By Septimus Senessie in Kono
There was drama yesterday morning inside and outside the studios of the state-owned SLBC radio station in Koidu after the city mayor was physically attacked as he was on live radio responding to allegations made against him by Minister of Local Government, Diana Konomanyi.
Mayor Saa Emerson Lamina’s vehicle, which was parked outside the station, was pelted with stones leaving the windscreen damaged. It is at present under the custody of the Tankoro police who are investigating the matter. No arrests have yet been made.
Even though there has been no love lost between the mayor and the minister - both members of the ruling APC party - the latest fracas borders on disagreements over his decision to honour a national football league fixture.
The three attackers broke the viewing glass at the studio entrance, says the station manager David Francis Cole, to make their way to apparently stop the mayor from responding to the minister’s allegations. He said the mob also damaged the station’s computers.
The mayor was unhurt and was able to finish his radio programme after the station guards forced the attackers outside. He identified the three assailants as Kai Moiba (District Chairman of the APC Youth League in Kono), Mohamed Sawaneh (Personal Assistant to the Kono District Council Chairman) and Tamba Gborie, driver of Paramount Chief Paul Gabba Saquee of Tankoro.
He alleged that the men were sent by the local council minister - herself a native of Kono - and the Paramount Chief to prevent him from responding to allegations of thuggery and puerility made against him by the minister over the weekend during a high-level security meeting in the town.
The three alleged attackers could not be reached for their reaction. However, both Chief Saquee and Ms Konomanyi vehemently denied the allegations of complicity in the mayor’s attack, with the chief saying that he only heard about it after he received a call from Politico.
The minister admitted to Politico that she did make remarks against the mayor for allegedly breaking the lock to the city’s football grounds to allow for a match between the district team Diamond Stars and Anti Drugs FC.
Tuesday’s incident is an offshoot of the controversial election four months ago that saw a diamond businessman, Mohamed Sky Kay emerge as Chairman of the Kono District Football Association, ending the seven-year-long reign of Mohamed Jabbie. The process was petitioned on the grounds that ineligible voters were allowed to vote, and a State House press release at the time nullified the election describing it as illegal. Now both men and their supporters are laying claim to the leadership of football in the district.
(C) Politico 17/02/16
